'Swatting' threats target dozens of school districts in New York
"What I want parents to know that we are taking every single incident seriously," the governor said.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- State police and education leaders are on alert after dozens of school districts in New York were hit with "swatting" threats.
Governor Hochul says more than 50 school districts received false reports of serious emergencies on Tuesday alone.
The state reported 36 last Friday, mostly against schools in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region.
"Swatting" calls, named for the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams that typically respond to emergencies, involve the false reporting of dangerous, potentially life-threatening incidents, such as a bomb threat, active shooter, hostage situation, or homicide.
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The governor is calling on school and public safety officials to coordinate campus safety protocols.
Police are working to pinpoint the source of the "swatting" calls.
On Friday Hochul said most "swatting" incidents are computer-generated and "probably in this case, they're foreign actors."
"What I want parents to know that we are taking every single incident seriously," the governor said. "We treat it as if it's real. But the reality is this is meant to disrupt and cause chaos in our school system, and indeed, society."
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